February 25-27, 2014

Washington, United States

Honorary Chair US Senator Ed Markey

Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament

Organised by Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament  and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Foundation)

Supported by The Simons Foundation and the Kazakhstan Embassy to the United States

Inspiring speakers including:

·         Senator Ed Markey, Member US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Co-founder of the US Nuclear Freeze Movement

·         Senator Nan Grogan Orrock, President of the US Women Legislators' Lobby

·         Karipbek Kuyukov, Second generation victim of Soviet nuclear tests, acclaimed armless painter

·         Angela Kane, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs

·         Senator Alena Gajduskova, Vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic

·         Anita Friedt,US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance

·         Saber Chowdhury MP,President of the Inter Parliamentary Union Standing Commission on Peace and International Security

·         Senator Richard Tuheiava, Member of the French Senate Defense Committee, Senator from Polynesia – French nuclear testing region

·         US Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton, Author of the US House of Reps Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act

·         Tadatoshi Akiba, Chair of the Middle Powers Initiative,former Mayor of Hiroshima, former President of Mayors for Peace

·         Donald L. Plusquellic, Mayor of Akron, Executive Member Mayors for Peace, Past-President of the US Conference of Mayors

·         Ira Helfand,International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

·         François Stamm, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Washington Delegation

·         Ambassador Richard Burt, U.S. Chair of Global Zero

·         Paul Walker, Green Cross International

Climbing the Mountain:

In 2007, four high-level US statesmen advanced the vision of a nuclear-weapons-free world as a goal that must be sought collectively to reverse nuclear proliferation and achieve security, but noted that such a goal was like an extremely high mountain that would take some effort to climb. Since then, the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world has been endorsed by President Obama, leaders of other nuclear-weapon-States and their allies and by the collective membership of the United Nations. But action by governments to implement this commitment has been lack-lustre at best.

In 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon contacted every legislature in the world reminding parliamentarians of their key roles in responding to unprecedented global challenges, ensuring sustainable global security and working ‘now on the legislative agendas needed to achieve and sustain the objective of nuclear disarmament.’

This conference will bring together legislators from across the political spectrum and from around the world in order to facilitate dialogue, enhance understanding and build parliamentary engagement in practical measures to advance nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The conference will focus particularly on engagement between US legislators and legislators from key countries where progress is required to build cooperative security, phase-out the reliance on nuclear weapons and establish the framework for a secure nuclear-weapons-free world.

Special attention will be given to the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons as an imperative to achieve their abolition.

PNND Assembly: Climbing the Mountain

Program outline

Day 1:              Tuesday February 25:          18:30 – 21:00

Alan Cranston Award dinner. Co-hosted by Green Cross International and the Global Security Institute

Day 2:             Wednesday February 26:        9:30 – 17:30

                                PNND Conference:  Climbing the mountain – part I

Session 1:       Steps and measures by nuclear-armed States                                                    

Session 2:       From nuclear deterrence to cooperative security                         

Session 3:       Regional security mechanisms- Nuclear Weapon Free Zones

Session 4:       Building the framework for a Nuclear Weapons Free World

Day 3:              Thursday February 27:            9:00 – 12:30

PNND Conference:  Climbing the mountain – part II

Session 5:        Special session on Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons

Session 6:       Building cross-party and inter-parliamentarycooperation  

Session 7:       National measures and exemplary policies        

PNND Council Meeting:                  13:30 – 17:00

Session 1:        Program reports and partnerships

Session 2:        Discussion on PNND draft program for 2014-2015

Session 3:        Organization and outreach

Closing reception:                        18:30 – 20:30

Ending the terror of nuclear weapons

Kennedy Caucus Room. US Senate Russell Building

Co-hosted by Senator Markey, PNND and the Kazakhstan Embassy to the United States

Featuring Karipbek Kuyukov, Second generation victim of Soviet nuclear tests, acclaimed armless painter

 For further information and to register contact info@pnnd.org

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PNND (Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament)is a global network of legislators

working on a range of initiatives to prevent nuclear proliferation and to achieve a nuclear weapons free world.

www.facebook.com/pnndglobal                           

www.pnnd.org

info@pnnd.org

Head office:

Basel Peace Office

c/o Seminar für Soziologie, Petersgraben 27

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Phone +41 612 673-460  Mobile: +41 788 912-156

United Nations Office:

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Phone: +1 646 289-5170. Fax +1 646 289-5171. Mobile: +1 646 752 8702

UK Office:

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Tel: +44 20 73213810